KEEN Utility Men's Independence 6" Leather Waterproof Composite Toe Work Boot

Only nit to pick is that the laces are either too short to wrap around the back or too long if you don’t. I put on some shorter ones.Plenty comfortable, composite toe is about exactly the same weight as the soft toe (I have a pair of both).Good toe room. I’m barefoot when I’m not at work, and these boots squash the toes together much less than any other boot I’ve tried.Insoles are maybe not as good as Redwing, but if not they they are #2 in the world, which isn’t bad at all.

UPDATE: I removed a star from these. They’re the first ever Keen boot to rub my ankles raw during break-in. I needed a new pair and purchased the Keen Portland boot. The Portland boot was by far the easiest break-in I’ve ever experienced; absolutely zero ankle pain! Like the Independence boot, the Portland also has the super comfortable luftcell midsole. The Portland has a higher heel to toe drop than the Independence, so it feels more like a running shoe when you’re walking.I’ve been buying keen utility boots for years. With my job, I have to buy a new pair every year due to the soles wearing out, regardless of the brand. This particular variation of built in the USA Keen utility boots are the lightest pair of US built boots that they make, that I know of. They’re even lighter than the Dearborn boot! They’re also $30-50 cheaper than the other ones.So what’s the difference? They have this material on the outsole that’s lighter and more durable than rubber, and apparently cheaper. It’s also extremely comfortable. These are easily the most comfortable pair of Keen utility boots that I’ve ever worn.Make sure you wear thick socks to break them in. I wore some thinner, older socks and got a raw spot on each ankle bone, since my job is so strenuous.I really wish they’d expand the factory here and do some actual boot making. Source the materials from elsewhere if that’s what it takes for now, but bring some complex, skilled trade jobs home. Surely it’s not actually cheaper to build the boots in two different factories around the world? We have plenty of genuinely American made boots here. Keen could pioneer making modern, athletic fit boots here as well.

I decided to try these after I saw an online review that gave them high marks for comfort. For years and years I've been getting [same name as Detroit's hockey team], which are an excellent boot but they take weeks to break in, and meanwhile I'm getting blisters and painfully scraping my toe knuckles on the underside of the lacing rivets. These were comfortable right out of the box, and after putting 6 miles on them the first day my feet still felt fine when I took them off at night. They also came with some thicker laces, so I'm not cutting into my fingers with narrow ones trying to get them laced tight enough. Highly recommended!

The rubber around the toe ripped the third week of wearing.

Estoy muy sastifecho con la marca keenTerminando el día mui contento los pies no me duelen por lo cómodo que son las botas las recomiendo

I highly recommend this boot. It fit perfectly and has served well in construction work even in another country.

Overall good boot. My only complaint is that these are not as comfortable as my previous Keens. That being said, these are all leather work boots and my others were mixed fabrics.

I'm a city slicker who recently moved into a role at work related to agriculture. I knew that I would be going out on farms walking fields, between rows of corn, and getting dirty like guys with real jobs, not cushy office jobs like me. So, I needed some boots that made me look like I belonged out there.From the moment I opened the box, I was impressed. I've worn Keen shoes/boots/sandals before. I knew what to expect, but I was still kind of blown away by the weight and quality of these boots. They were clearly the nicest boots I'd ever owned, and I hadn't even put them on yet. The leather was impressive, the Keen-signature, rubber-wrapped toe looked awesome, the laces were big and chunky like the boots themselves, and I loved the American Built emblazoned on the front of the boots. What is Made in USA anymore?!? Not much! Not enough!Before I wore them, I chose to give them a light coat of mink oil, which I rubbed into all the leather, wiped off, and allowed to dry overnight. Even though the leather is waterproof, I felt better about protecting them with something that would add waterproofing and protection, including at the seams.So, it was time for a couple of days on the farm. I laced them up snugly, using the metal hooks up the ankle. They grabbed the laces and allowed me to snug them up. Wow. Just wow. They felt amazing. So much support, but yet they didn't feel clunky at all. I wore them for 2 LONG days with a fair bit of walking on all sorts of surfaces--hard, soft, muddy, sandy, you name it. They felt so good. The temperature got to around 80F on the second day, and my feet were never too hot. Honestly, I never thought about taking them off until the end of the day.I know that I had the nicest boots in the field both days. True, those guys had all been wearing their boots for probably years. Mine were brand spanking new. They're dusty and dirty now, but they still look fabulous. I cannot wait to wear them again.Worth every penny. No complaints whatsoever. I love these boots.